Ruby Dixon says it's the pervasiveness of sexual assault that drives her to find new ways of gathering evidence to hold perpetrators accountable.
Her discovery, which suggests bacteria could be used to identify perpetrators of sexual assault in cases where there is no DNA, was recently published in the Forensic Science International journal.
"We're talking millions of people may experience sexual violence in their lifetime," Ms Dixon, a PhD candidate at Murdoch University, said.
"I have so many people that are close friends and family that have also experienced some sort of sexual violence.
"It makes me feel quite passionate that I'm able to do such important research that's going to one day make a positive impact on the outcomes for victim-survivors."
Bacteria leaves a trace
Ms Dixon, with support from Murdoch University senior lecturer Brendan Chapman, examined the bacteria that grows naturally in human sexual organs before and after intercourse.
Their results suggested there was an exchange of bacteria between men and women during sex.
If further research confirmed the bacteria was unique to the individual, it could be used to identify perpetrators in cases where there was no DNA.
"The end goal is that we'll be able to take a swab, analyse the bacteria, and link it back to an individual, or at the very least eliminate suspects," she said.
Mr Chapman said new forensic tools were needed because male DNA could be difficult to extract from swabs that did not contain enough male cells.
"Because of the nature of where we're sampling from, there's a huge abundance of female human DNA," he said.
"And so it's very, very hard to identify a male out of that kind of cellular mix."
Having worked as a forensic scientist for police and DNA laboratories, Mr Chapman said he had seen first-hand how difficult it could be to secure a conviction in sexual assault cases.
He hoped that finding new ways to bolster victim testimony with forensic evidence would help improve outcomes for victim-survivors of sexual assault.
"The system just is not geared in favour of the victim," Mr Chapman said.
"It's just such a difficult process."
'Ground-breaking' discovery, say researchers
Mr Chapman said there was growing interest in microbiology as a forensic science tool, such as testing bacteria on the tyres of a suspect vehicle to see if the soil could be matched to the crime scene.
But he said Ms Dixon's study was the first to demonstrate that bacterial transfer occurs during sex.
"We think it's a really ground-breaking finding for forensic science," Mr Chapman said.
The research was still in its early stages, he said, predicting it would be years before the process would be ready to be used by state forensic laboratories.
Even if further research found the bacteria was not completely unique to an individual, he said it would likely still be distinct enough to eliminate sexual assault suspects.
Ms Dixon said testing for bacteria would not require victims to undergo any additional testing, avoiding the possibility of causing additional trauma.
Big hopes for real-world impacts
She said she was already seeing positive impacts from her research, even within her own social circles.
"There have been some friends that have felt compelled to talk about their own experiences to me, based on what I've explained I'm currently researching," Ms Dixon said.
"Which I think is also really, really special, that people are able to talk about their experience and show their gratitude that this kind of work is ongoing and people are trying to do something to improve the outcomes."
Ms Dixon said she was somewhat daunted by the amount of work still to do, but excited to see what the research could achieve in terms of real-world results.
